The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-09-14

community, after taxing calm ana
comprehensive view of the various
and diversified elements composing
it., to reach the conclusion that re-
publicanism is adapted to our condi-
ton, Take the foreign population,
exclusive Of Asiatics, and we are
made up mainly Of American, Eng
lish, German, and Portuguese. The
first named, Americans, have been
born and educated as republicans,
and are therefore familiar with re-
publican institutions and naturally
favor that form of government in
the abstract above all others, and
probably to majority of that
nationality residing here its adop-
ton in this country might not be
Objectionable, although we can
point to prominent Americans who
agree with us that republicanism is
not adapted to this country. TAX
ing the other nationalities named
English, German, and Portuguese
their education is monarchical, and
no doubt majority of them feel
more at home under a permanent
sovereign than under a periodically
changing president. Then there are
the aborigines, who outnumber all
the American and European foreign
ers combined. Their education,
their instincts, their prejudices, and
their traditions are all monarchical.
They are not prepared for any other
form of government, and an attempt
to thrust any other upon them would
be an outrageous act, which neither
justice nor right could countenance,
and which the protecting Powers
would probably take forcible excep-
ton to. Republicanism then is I'M
adapted to this country in the sense
of being unacceptable to majority
of its people,
Besides, if otherwise, there would
be the periodical agitation of presi-
dental election, and a probable
plotting and scheming between times
of a half dozen factions and nation
alities, each striving to get its presi-
dent in at the next election. Where
as, with the present form of govern
ment, and a native Chief its nomi-
nal Head, the turmoil of perpetual
change is avoided, and the various
foreign nationalities domiciled in
the country are on an equality with
regard to the Head of the natien.
In view of the foregoing, briefly
outlined only, we most heartily sup
port Mr.. Young's position, and con-
tend for the independence of the
country on the basis Of limited
constitutional monarchy.
The word ''limited" is very i'm
portant in this connexion. The
amount of Clint" requisite and
necessary is probably imposed by
the New Constitution, The old
Constitution, which the new super
sedes, was certainly without the
necessary checks, and practically
allowed the monarch unlimited power.
1t was the unwise exercise of this
power which brought about the state
of dissatisfaction that eliminated in
the mass meeting of the 30th of
June last. No demand would pro-
badly have ever been made for a
change had the absolute-power-giv-
ing clauses been kept wisely in
allegiance. The British Queen has
conferred on her by the unwritten
Constitution of her kingdom certain
absolute prerogatives, which, like a
wise sovereign, she never uses with
out the advice and consent of her
responsible Ministers.
The limit which, in our opinion,
should be placed on any monarch is
epitomized in the words, "reign but
not rule. This we apprehend to
be the position in which the Ha-
waiian sovereign is placed by the
New Constitution, He is the reign
ing Head of the Government, but
his public acts are directed by his
Ministers. The responsibility is,
therefore, theirs, and not his. So
according to the statement of another
Noble elect, Mr.. w. o. Smith, in
one of his speeches, "the new Con-
stitution increases the dignity of the
sovereign" The altered relation
ship of the King and the Cabinet,
throws upon the Ministers the re.
sponsibility of the Kings public
acts, and he maintains the same
dignifed, unreasonable position
towards them, no matter how often